Restoring the Soul with Michael John Cusick

“God meets people in their moments of vulnerability and suffering and transforms them. And what they get is friendship with God.” - Jason GabouryWhat would happen if we met God in the midst of our isolation, loneliness, grief, and vulnerability? What if our loneliness became the context for a deeper life with God and greater compassion for others?As the global pandemic is affecting millions the world over, widespread loneliness is also impacting the lives of many - and for some, feelings of isolation, emptiness, and abandonment have devastating consequences.In this edition of Restoring the Soul, Michael discusses the issue of loneliness with Jason Gaboury, whose brand new book titled, “Wait With Me: Meeting God in Loneliness” will help you understand that loneliness can be the avenue to empathize with Jesus.We’re thrilled to introduce you to Jason as his life mission is; to know God and to live, lead, and serve in a way that others are inspired to know God. He has served the ministry of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship since 1997, leading ministries on campuses in Manhattan, Queens, and Brooklyn in the USA, as well as pioneering efforts with the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students.  And in an effort to come alongside you and provide you with resources to accompany our podcast, visit the following link for this week’s download called, “Wait With Me: Meeting God in Loneliness”.In this podcast, we hope you will discover:The deeper issues of the heart that are connected to loneliness.The essence of loneliness.How to know God in the context of loneliness.Support the showENGAGE THE RESTORING THE SOUL PODCAST:- Follow us on YouTube - Tweet us at @michaeljcusick and @PodcastRTS- Like us on Facebook- Follow us on Instagram & Twitter- Follow Michael on Twitter- Email us at info@restoringthesoul.com Thanks for listening!

“All spirituality is about what we do with the unrest in our soul.” - Ronald RolheiserHow are you caring for your soul? Are you in touch with the Father on a deep and intimate level? Today you will be introduced to iCARE. iCARE is a way for you to be still, guard your heart and the treasure inside, in a way that you can become more aware of it and be connected to that reality and live out of it as you live in the gaze of God’s love.On this edition of Restoring the Soul, Michael will teach you how to regulate your body...to bring you back to a place where you are in a window of tolerance in your nervous system. Where your feelings, experiences, perceptions, and sensations in your body - that you can be present to them and to be present to God.To receive a helpful iCARE guide, click this linkIn this podcast, we hope you will discover:What it means to guard your heart.How to practice the presence of God?What sacred sorrow means.Support the showENGAGE THE RESTORING THE SOUL PODCAST:- Follow us on YouTube - Tweet us at @michaeljcusick and @PodcastRTS- Like us on Facebook- Follow us on Instagram & Twitter- Follow Michael on Twitter- Email us at info@restoringthesoul.com Thanks for listening!

“The crisis is not just creating anxiety, it’s revealing anxiety.” - Dr. Curt ThompsonThis podcast is one of the most important podcasts Restoring the Soul has produced. COVID-19, also known as the Coronavirus, is not just an infectious disease...it is the source of what defines the current reality of much of the world. Fear, anxiety, and uncertainty are affecting millions and people are coming to grips with what life is like in quarantine. Here at Restoring the Soul, we don’t think the lasting effects of Coronavirus are just gloom and doom, in fact, much of the beauty that will be seen after this passes will be found in the realization of the importance of the discovery of the true self, the need for community and connection, and that we are best when we are not alone.Michael’s guest on this podcast is Dr. Curt Thompson, a psychiatrist inspired by deep compassion for others and informed from a Christian perspective. He is motivated by developing more authentic relationships and fully experiencing our deepest longing: to be known.Michael was inspired by a recent blog post Dr. Thompson wrote about COVID-19 titled Love and Lament in March Madness and we encourage you to read it here.In this podcast, we hope you will discover:How to remain calm in the face of a crisis.The essence of lament.How abandonment is the core anxiety related to what people are experiencing today.Support the showENGAGE THE RESTORING THE SOUL PODCAST:- Follow us on YouTube - Tweet us at @michaeljcusick and @PodcastRTS- Like us on Facebook- Follow us on Instagram & Twitter- Follow Michael on Twitter- Email us at info@restoringthesoul.com Thanks for listening!

“We don’t ever get over ego. Ego is always at work. Are we aware of it so it doesn’t surprise us?” - Chuck DeGroatWe typically think of narcissism manifesting itself as big, loud, and even overtly arrogant. But narcissism can show up in very understated, subtle ways in each Enneagram type. On this edition of Restoring the Soul, Michael John Cusick concludes his conversation with professor and counselor Chuck DeGroat on the ways that narcissism shows up for each Enneagram type.Chuck is uniquely qualified to discuss narcissism as he has been counseling pastors with this disorder for over twenty years. He knows firsthand the devastation narcissism leaves in its wake and how insidious and painful it is.In this podcast, we hope you will discover:How knowing our Enneagram number is helpful in exposing our shadow side.How the false self loses its power.The importance of humility and character in leadership.Support the showENGAGE THE RESTORING THE SOUL PODCAST:- Follow us on YouTube - Tweet us at @michaeljcusick and @PodcastRTS- Like us on Facebook- Follow us on Instagram & Twitter- Follow Michael on Twitter- Email us at info@restoringthesoul.com Thanks for listening!

“We all swim in the waters of narcissism.” - Chuck DeGroatDid you know there is an epidemic of narcissism in the church? Whether it’s in the pulpit, lurking behind the scenes, or embedded deep within the organizational systems of the church - narcissism is running rampant and needs to be addressed.Today’s podcast will do just that. In fact, the next two episodes deal with narcissism in frank yet hopeful terms as Michael John Cusick spends time with Chuck DeGroat discussing his latest book, When Narcissism Comes to the Church.Chuck is uniquely qualified on this topic as he has been counseling pastors with Narcissistic Personality Disorder, as well as those wounded by narcissistic leaders and systems, for over twenty years. He knows firsthand the devastation narcissism leaves in its wake and how insidious and painful it is.It’s one thing to be able to point out someone’s faults and identify where people are broken, but as you’ll hear, Chuck offers hope for narcissists themselves—not by any shortcut, but by the long, slow road of genuine recovery, possible only through repentance and trust in the humble gospel of Jesus. We all need to lean in and listen closely over the next two podcasts.In this podcast, we hope you will discover:Characteristics of narcissismThe difference between covert & overt narcissismWhy narcissism seem to thrive in our churchesSupport the showENGAGE THE RESTORING THE SOUL PODCAST:- Follow us on YouTube - Tweet us at @michaeljcusick and @PodcastRTS- Like us on Facebook- Follow us on Instagram & Twitter- Follow Michael on Twitter- Email us at info@restoringthesoul.com Thanks for listening!

“You can’t make good wine from bad grapes. Wine is made in the vineyard, not the winery.”  - Josh HillmanOn today’s podcast, our host Michael John Cusick conducts a fascinating discussion based on John 15:1-17. If you’re not familiar with the reference, we’re sure the first few words of Chapter 15 will be all you need to remember. Jesus is speaking to His disciples towards the close of His earthly ministry and says, “I am the true vine and my Father is the gardener…”Knowing that Jesus was speaking to an agrarian culture, His disciples would not have missed the importance of the metaphor...especially a society that held wine in such high regard.So what can we learn today about the important connection Jesus was making between himself, His Father, the disciples and the relationship to a vineyard? On today’s podcast, Michael will be speaking with Josh Hillman. Josh is a certified sommelier with a passion for showing others the beauty of wine. He has worked with some of the greatest sommeliers in Denver and now is the wine director for Pearl Wine Company. His passion is to help others find the most possible pleasure from wine.In this podcast, we hope you will discover:What it means to be fruitful.What are good grapes? What are bad grapes?What are the best conditions for vines to bear fruit?Support the showENGAGE THE RESTORING THE SOUL PODCAST:- Follow us on YouTube - Tweet us at @michaeljcusick and @PodcastRTS- Like us on Facebook- Follow us on Instagram & Twitter- Follow Michael on Twitter- Email us at info@restoringthesoul.com Thanks for listening!

In a captivating conversation, Peter Zaremba, a practitioner of centering prayer and contemplative spirituality, shares how this practice transformed his life and supports recovery from addiction. He emphasizes centering prayer as a means to encounter God rather than simply self-improvement, fostering presence in daily moments. Peter also discusses how contemplative practices can rewire the brain for positivity and compassion, and he inspires listeners to embrace silence to discover their true selves and detach from addictive patterns.

Brad Jersak, theologian and pastor steeped in Christian mysticism, and Peter Zaremba, pastoral counselor and longtime contemplative practitioner, walk through centering prayer. They explore its roots in church history and practical steps like the sacred word. Conversations cover humility, compassionate return from distraction, and how silent practice reshapes daily life and relationships.

“The higher your Christology, the wider you see Abba’s love to be.” - Brad JersakBrad Jersak is Michael’s guest on today’s podcast. Their conversation centers around how Christ-followers might hold the tension of two abiding and complementary truths: 1. Christ’s one-of-a-kind revelation 2. Abba’s all-inclusive love.In their conversation you’ll hear how Brad lays out biblical and experiential evidence for integrating and celebrating both these truths together, espousing the beautiful gospel of Christ’s unique revelation of Abba’s all-inclusive love. Brad Jersak is an author and teacher based in Abbotsford, BC. He serves as a reader and monastery preacher at All Saints of North America Orthodox Monastery. Through his books and seminars, Brad shares the good news that God is Love, perfectly revealed in Jesus Christ. He teaches others how to encounter God through the practice of ”listening prayer,” through which God’s love heals wounded hearts and empowers us to heal this broken world.Brad was a former guest on Restoring the Soul. In the fall of 2017, Michael interviewed him about his book, “A More Christlike God: A More Beautiful Gospel”.In this podcast, we hope you will discover:The importance of knowing God the Father as Abba.The Lamb is the revelation of the nature of GodThe main point and purpose of the incarnationSupport the showENGAGE THE RESTORING THE SOUL PODCAST:- Follow us on YouTube - Tweet us at @michaeljcusick and @PodcastRTS- Like us on Facebook- Follow us on Instagram & Twitter- Follow Michael on Twitter- Email us at info@restoringthesoul.com Thanks for listening!

“Betrayals that are sexual in nature have a significantly greater impact on the human heart and the female soul.”  - Julianne CusickToday Michael continues and concludes his discussion with Julianne on the 5 Things Husbands Can Do to Support Their Wives After Betrayal. This is one of the most important podcasts we have ever produced.Julianne Cusick specializes in issues related to the recovery of the heart for women. The advice that she gives in this particular discussion comes from first-hand experience and an empathy that is grounded in compassion and love. Julianne longs for women to be healed - not limping along with a gaping wound for all the world to see.By the end of this podcast I think you will agree that hope is certainly attainable and there needs to be an agreement and understanding that healing does not happen in a vacuum. It requires a willing effort from both sides. In this podcast, we hope you will discover:What it means to suffer betrayal trauma.Causes of betrayal traumaWhy all is not lost. Hope is attainable.Support the showENGAGE THE RESTORING THE SOUL PODCAST:- Follow us on YouTube - Tweet us at @michaeljcusick and @PodcastRTS- Like us on Facebook- Follow us on Instagram & Twitter- Follow Michael on Twitter- Email us at info@restoringthesoul.com Thanks for listening!